138 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [3RD. SEASON. 



CHAP, been at various times into all their warehouses, and had 



seen very much good clean Cotton, which he had heard 



had fetched good prices at home. 



193 No market or Agency required in Tinnevelly. At 



the same time Mr. Thomas stated that a good market for 

 Native Cotton already existed in Tinnevelly, and that 

 there was no occasion for creating a new market, as Mr. 

 Finnie seemed to argue. Cotton in Tinnevelly found a 

 ready sale, and the price varied but little from year to 

 year. Again, Mr. Thomas could not understand what was 

 meant by the " co-operation and organised system," which 

 Mr. Finnie requested from the home manufacturers and the 

 Madras Government. If an Agent for the purchase of all 

 Cotton was intended, such an arrangement should be left to 

 the merchants and manufacturers themselves ; but such an 

 Agency, with the advantage of competition superadded, 

 already existed at Tuticorin, where six Agents were al- 

 ready established for the purchase of the best Cotton that 

 could be obtained. 



194 Cultivation of New Orleans Cotton, and improved 

 cleaning, the main points, Mr. Thomas believed that 

 the results to be really attained were : first, the cultivation 

 of the New Orleans and better kinds of Cotton ; and secondly, 

 the exercise of greater care and cleanliness in picking 

 and packing. These results could only be obtained by 

 patient perseverance and practical experiment amongst 

 the people. So far as cleaning the Cotton was concerned, 

 Mr. Finnie was profitably employed ; but Mr. Thomas con- 

 sidered that larger sowings of better sorts of Cotton, and 

 greater attention to the cultivation of Cotton by Mr. Finnie 

 and others, would prove of much practical benefit. 



195 Xftr. Finnie's design for a cheap Cotton Press. 



Mr. Finnie subsequently wrote a very long letter in further 

 explanation of his views, but it adds little or nothing to 



